Volleyball: Family Comes First For Southside’s Hamilton Twins

Like most other twins, Taylor and Payton Hamilton share a lot of same mannerisms and finish each other’s sentences.

The Hamilton twins are both 6-foot outside hitters with the ability to hit and block and have verbally committed to UAFS. They are what Southside coach Steve Haaser refers to as a “neat and unique experience to coach.”

“As a coach, you appreciate good players, and to get a clone of a good player is special,” Haaser said. “Their discipline, work ethic and character make them a joy to coach.”

But for the Southside seniors — who are on the cusp of leading the school to another 30-win season — it’s not just about kills, digs and assists, let alone wins and losses. For the Hamiltons, everything begins and ends with family.

Robin and Shea Hamilton started taking their children to basketball games when they were babies. Not surprisingly, the twins fell hard for basketball when they were little.

“We’ve been told that my mom would take us to basketball games when we were babies and we would be passed around the stands,” Taylor Hamilton said. “Of course, we don’t remember that.”

The twins’ father is a longtime basketball official who now works college games. When the twins were children, they attended the high school games Shea worked.

“I remember going to basketball games with my mom and watching him ref,” Payton Hamilton said. “I remember him running up and down the court, and then I remember him with baseball because he coached my brother (Ryan) for so long.”

Basketball got the twins’ attention early, but volleyball became their focus.

“We had played basketball since we were 5 years old and I think we kind of got burned out,” Taylor Hamilton said. “The fact that (volleyball) is competitive, and such a natural team sport, that’s what I like. With volleyball, it takes everyone around you to be successful.”

Despite their love of sports, the girls have a genuine appreciation for their parents for not pushing them into sports.

“I think it was really important not to be pushed into anything, because it was our choice to play, and it helped us love the game,” she said. “My mom never pushed us into volleyball, but she wanted us to play because she played in high school.”

Their father said that was intentional.

“We introduced them to everything — piano, dance, band, and all sports,” Shea Hamilton said. “Volleyball is what they were most passionate about.”